His simple, honest deed received international attention. And just as far-reaching have been offers to help the formerly homeless Hackensack man, James Brady, who is now paying a price for turning in $850 cash he found on the street.

Readers from throughout the country asked how they could help Brady on Saturday, and a local non-profit group set up a fund to collect donations, after a story in The Record that detailed how Brady lost government benefits because of his good deed.

Last month, city police gave Brady the money he had turned in to them six months earlier because it had remained unclaimed. City officials celebrated his honest act, and he became a minor celebrity.

But a city employee responsible for administering aid for the needy saw the widely circulated story and canceled his benefits through the end of this year because he had failed to disclose the $850 on paperwork, The Record reported Saturday.

Arun Arora, 42, of Chicago, who read about Brady on the Internet, saw someone being punished for his good intentions.

“It was a very touching story,” said Arora, who wanted to help Brady. “He’s a human being. And given his background, I’m happy to write a check to help him.”

Others, like Bob Wiseman of Wayne, also contacted the paper in an effort to help. Wiseman said he was ready to cut a $500 check.

“It was just moving,” Wiseman said. “The poor guy is one of many people who have lost their job, but he still had his moral compass.”

A former photographer and market data analyst, Brady lost his job a decade ago and has suffered from depression since. Earlier this year, he seemed to be getting back on track. He was seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and taking medication — but he learned last week that he might no longer be able to afford his care. Hackensack sent him a notice on Thursday that it was denying him Medicaid and General Assistance benefits through the end of the year because of what they said was undisclosed “income.”

On Saturday, Bergen County’s United Way set up an account specifically for Brady through its Compassion Fund.

“This outpouring stems from: Here’s a fellow who behaved admirably, who clearly could have used the money himself, but he showed a tremendous amount of pride and honesty,” said Tom Toronto, president of the county United Way chapter. “Then to discover that, through an irrational, bureaucratic rule, he is punished for that. I think it’s unconscionable.”

The money the non-profit collects on Brady’s behalf will go entirely to helping him, Toronto said. Mindful that help in the form of cash could have more unintended consequences for Brady, who relies on government aid, Toronto said his group plans to work with Brady and county housing officials to identify Brady’s needs — medication, food, clothing, therapy — and will provide those goods and services for him. If the donations exceed Brady’s short-term needs, they could be used for long-term help like tuition for job training, Toronto said.

“James was on an upward path,” Toronto said. “Our goal is to put him back on that path and keep him on that path.”

Brady, who could not be reached for comment Saturday, has said he was not trying to hide anything. He did not know he had to report the money police ultimately gave him. His canceled benefits included Medicaid and $210 in monthly assistance, Brady’s only source of income for non-food items.

The Hackensack Human Services Department official who decided to temporarily halt Brady’s Medicaid and General Assistance benefits, Agatha Toomey, previously said she was just following rules which require any lump-sum payment to be reported as income.

Hackensack’s mayor, John LaBrosse, previously called Brady’s situation “a shame” and said it highlighted “major flaws” in the system that helps provides the needy with assistance. He did not return a call seeking comment on Saturday.

His simple, honest deed received international attention. And just as far-reaching have been offers to help the formerly homeless Hackensack man, James Brady, who is now paying a price for turning in $850 cash he found on the street.

Readers from throughout the country asked how they could help Brady on Saturday, and a local non-profit group set up a fund to collect donations, after a story in The Record that detailed how Brady lost government benefits because of his good deed.

Last month, city police gave Brady the money he had turned in to them six months earlier because it had remained unclaimed. City officials celebrated his honest act, and he became a minor celebrity.

But a city employee responsible for administering aid for the needy saw the widely circulated story and canceled his benefits through the end of this year because he had failed to disclose the $850 on paperwork, The Record reported Saturday.

Arun Arora, 42, of Chicago, who read about Brady on the Internet, saw someone being punished for his good intentions.

“It was a very touching story,” said Arora, who wanted to help Brady. “He’s a human being. And given his background, I’m happy to write a check to help him.”

Others, like Bob Wiseman of Wayne, also contacted the paper in an effort to help. Wiseman said he was ready to cut a $500 check.

“It was just moving,” Wiseman said. “The poor guy is one of many people who have lost their job, but he still had his moral compass.”

A former photographer and market data analyst, Brady lost his job a decade ago and has suffered from depression since. Earlier this year, he seemed to be getting back on track. He was seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and taking medication — but he learned last week that he might no longer be able to afford his care. Hackensack sent him a notice on Thursday that it was denying him Medicaid and General Assistance benefits through the end of the year because of what they said was undisclosed “income.”

On Saturday, Bergen County’s United Way set up an account specifically for Brady through its Compassion Fund.

“This outpouring stems from: Here’s a fellow who behaved admirably, who clearly could have used the money himself, but he showed a tremendous amount of pride and honesty,” said Tom Toronto, president of the county United Way chapter. “Then to discover that, through an irrational, bureaucratic rule, he is punished for that. I think it’s unconscionable.”

The money the non-profit collects on Brady’s behalf will go entirely to helping him, Toronto said. Mindful that help in the form of cash could have more unintended consequences for Brady, who relies on government aid, Toronto said his group plans to work with Brady and county housing officials to identify Brady’s needs — medication, food, clothing, therapy — and will provide those goods and services for him. If the donations exceed Brady’s short-term needs, they could be used for long-term help like tuition for job training, Toronto said.

“James was on an upward path,” Toronto said. “Our goal is to put him back on that path and keep him on that path.”

Brady, who could not be reached for comment Saturday, has said he was not trying to hide anything. He did not know he had to report the money police ultimately gave him. His canceled benefits included Medicaid and $210 in monthly assistance, Brady’s only source of income for non-food items.

The Hackensack Human Services Department official who decided to temporarily halt Brady’s Medicaid and General Assistance benefits, Agatha Toomey, previously said she was just following rules which require any lump-sum payment to be reported as income.

Hackensack’s mayor, John LaBrosse, previously called Brady’s situation “a shame” and said it highlighted “major flaws” in the system that helps provides the needy with assistance. He did not return a call seeking comment on Saturday.